Speeding Van Falls Off Bangkok Expressway, Killing At Least Eight

[thailand49]

It is sad but how often it happens throughout Thailand that it doesn't get reported?<BR><BR>I think most of you miss the point except for the part that eight people lost their life! Why shouldn't they speed? Why shouldn't they drink and drive? Do some research on how Thai's get their driver license! As a Thai, what is a flashing red light? what is a flashing yellow light? What is a soiid white line? What is a solid yellow line? Ever see a four way stop at a intersection? What is the speed limit? Should you tailgate? Should you slow down when it rains? The driver is at fault but if you want to blame someone start at the top and that is the government of Thailand transportation Department. Why follow the rules if there is no enforcement?<BR><BR>The system killed these people and will kill again? I read something like out of 1,000 deaths 800 comes from motorbikes? Thai's can't drive! bottom line, take can smile and go straight but anything else they don't have a clue? Now that is Thai bashing!

[humqdpf]

It is sad but how often it happens throughout Thailand that it doesn't get reported?<BR><BR>I think most of you miss the point except for the part that eight people lost their life! Why shouldn't they speed? Why shouldn't they drink and drive? Do some research on how Thai's get their driver license! As a Thai, what is a flashing red light? what is a flashing yellow light? What is a soiid white line? What is a solid yellow line? Ever see a four way stop at a intersection? What is the speed limit? Should you tailgate? Should you slow down when it rains? The driver is at fault but if you want to blame someone start at the top and that is the government of Thailand transportation Department. Why follow the rules if there is no enforcement?<BR><BR>The system killed these people and will kill again? I read something like out of 1,000 deaths 800 comes from motorbikes? Thai's can't drive! bottom line, take can smile and go straight but anything else they don't have a clue? Now that is Thai bashing!

For me there is only one really big surprise in these cases of tragic death through crazy driving, and that is, how come there are not many many more??

[truethailand]

When a Thai friend tells me its okay to go thru a red bcos there is two reds... red when it first changes (thats ok to go thru) and 'blood red' which is the red that appears about 4 secs after red first shows (you cant go thru that unless your a bus) what hope is there for anybody to complain and correct the p1ss poor attitude adopted by most Thais. Ever wondered why traffic is slow to pull away when it goes green, sh1t scared of whats coming the other way. Anyway a red light here is merely a suggestion.

When I stop at a red pedestrian crossing, near a school, at 07.00 in the morning cars honk me to go and when I dont they go around me across the crossing thru the red looking at me like I am stupid.. They will try to go on red even if there is kids crossing the road on the crossing. On the same road today a driver nearly t boned me coming from a junction as I stopped quick opposite him I f..ked him farang style. He had then lost face so further down the road he went under me a great speed pulled in and then indicated to turn right. I just LMFAO with the window open and that wound him up even more. They really never mature mentally beyond the age of 12, live with little or no responsibility for their actions. Take my advice, drive with something under the seat if you are going to demonstrate your anger that they drive like mongs. I have covered over 250,000 kms in Thailand and wherever you go they have the same trait, mindless morons behind the wheel. Please feel free to defend them, how I dont know (after education driving is my favourite subject ,rant finished please carry on with sensible discussion now)

[dharmabm]

A terrible waste of life, and condolences to the families. But in reality, with the way Thai drive, I'm surprised things like this don't happen more often.

it does, it just doesn't always make the press. how many people do you thing die on motorcycles in bangkok every day?

k

[suranya63]

rip how sad

[Jirapa]

It is sad but how often it happens throughout Thailand that it doesn't get reported?<BR><BR>I think most of you miss the point except for the part that eight people lost their life! Why shouldn't they speed? Why shouldn't they drink and drive? Do some research on how Thai's get their driver license! As a Thai, what is a flashing red light? what is a flashing yellow light? What is a soiid white line? What is a solid yellow line? Ever see a four way stop at a intersection? What is the speed limit? Should you tailgate? Should you slow down when it rains? The driver is at fault but if you want to blame someone start at the top and that is the government of Thailand transportation Department. Why follow the rules if there is no enforcement?<BR><BR>The system killed these people and will kill again? I read something like out of 1,000 deaths 800 comes from motorbikes? Thai's can't drive! bottom line, take can smile and go straight but anything else they don't have a clue? Now that is Thai bashing!

Thai drivers aren't that bad despite very little training. Try Morocco and India as driving here is pretty stress free even in Bangkok. Driving in Paris is much worse as I lived there for 8 years and at times wondered why I even bothered having a car as it had a dent in every panel usually as a result of parking it on the street at night and it getting hit by careless drivers.

[richard10365]

There are bad drivers everywhere. Thailand does not have a monopoly on this. The USA has tons of traffic rules and police roaming the streets trying to enforce the rules. Still, many people die in the USA from traffic accidents.

I wonder what the accident per capita rate is in countries where the driving training and rules seem lax compared to countries like the USA. With so many accidents happening in the USA, I wonder if rules really make a difference.

[Johpa]

The roads and driving will improve, but not in our lifetime I am afraid so just let them go past you and hold back. it is sad though, especially when it involves children.

The roads have improved tremendously within my modest lifetime, or at least within the past 30 years of my experiences within the Kingdom. And I think the driving has also improved a bit, just not as much as the roads have improved. But as long as the police and the country as a whole remain endemically corrupt, we will not see the necessary traffic enforcement needed to significantly reduce these types of tragic accidents

[Phatcharanan]

Terrible accident and very sad for the families of the victims. My sincere condolences for their loss, with one exception... the driver.

Its not yet known how the accident happened. Maybe a tyre 'blow-out', faulty brakes, another reckless driver in front etc.

Why are you so quick to condone the driver without all the facts?

[george]

ACCIDENT

Bangkok's Halloween horror

By The Nation

Published on November 1, 2010

BANGKOK: -- Eight people were killed when a packed van plunged off an expressway late yesterday and burst into flames.

The accident occurred at the same spot a police van crashed early this year.

Three men and five women died in yesterday's horror smash, which also seriously injured another eight people.

The speeding van swerved and hit an expressway wall near the Rama VI exit before plunging onto the road near Samsen School at about 5pm.

The van then burst into flames. Half of the 16 passengers on board died at the scene, police said.

Police found the gas-fuel van gutted. Its gas cylinder was discovered in a bush near the site. Seats and other items from the vehicle were scattered on the road.

The eight passengers killed included two children. All were burnt beyond recognition.

Polices were trying to identify their names of the victims.

The passengers with serious injuries included Viroj Pa-utha, 56, who was the driver and car owner. He suffered burns to his back and arms.

Other victims who had serious injuries were Somchai Khonkuamdee, Janjira Pa-utha, a man called Veeraphon (surname unknown), a 10-year-old boy and a male youth, whose names were not known at press time.

All the injured suffered burns to more than 70 per cent of their bodies. They were admitted at an intensive care unit to try to stop them suffering infections.

Only one of those killed was able to be identified at press time last night. He was Pichet Kleubkrai, 34, from Ratchaburi province.

Police extinguished the blaze before rescue workers used equipment to cut the van open to get injured passengers out. Five of the injured were rushed to Ramathibodi and Wachira hospitals.

Police sealed off the area to facilitate rescue work. Motorists were told to avoid the road.

One witness, Pittaya Romyen, said he was waiting to pick up his nephew in front of Samsen School when he saw the van fall from the expressway and burst into flames.

He alerted the police 191 emergency centre about the crash. But said there were several explosions from the vehicle while fire fighters were trying putting the fire out.

Pittaya said he rushed to check the vehicle when the fire was put out.

"I rescued a boy from the vehicle. I also saw the driver, who was burnt on the back and arms crawling from the debris. Both were rushed to a nearby hospi-tal."

A well-known movie star Bin Banleurit, who also involved in rescuing passengers. He said one victim who was severely injured told him the van had an engine problem before it crashed. The driver got scared with the situation before it plunged onto the road.

Earlier this year, there was another serious accident at the same spot. A police car was severely damaged after plunging down from the expressway. Two police were seriously injured.

Their van hit a guidepost before plunged down into Rama VI Road near Tuk Chai intersection and the Water Filter Building.

-- The Nation 2010-10-31

[troy04]

What a sad waste of life.......

R.I.P.

2Sad.. R.I.P.

i always fear this when riding a bus on elevated tollway..!! very small protection walls compared to the hight of a bus...

at least this reckless driver can't do any harm anymore..

[random]

Yep, the longer i live here the more i seem to want a crack down on drivers and vehicles by the BIB ! I would never have thought i would want to see the hard core road rule enforcement like the western countries more geared to increase collection of money than actually controlling behaviour of motorists.

I was looking forward to driving and riding around Thailand without stressing about points loss and fines but now i seem to think its very much needed here and it seems to be public transport vehicles are the worst.

Seriously they need to really start some form of licencing education and more enforcement of road rules!

I thought id never see the day that i wanted to see More Policing !

I drive here every day and funnily enough only this morning I was thinking about the accident rate here, I know many posters on here complain about the nanny state back home and the law and the health and safety etc, but I am from the UK and ex police, I have seen many accidents back there but nowhere near the amount I see here, and I saw them back there as it was part of my job, here I see at least one every day when I don't have to go out of my way to see one.

Driving though is one area I would love to see out nanny state imported into thailand, The UK and thailand have very similar populations but the annual death toll on the roads is far higher in Thailand I believe.

Who do we blame? Do we blame the driver that has not been educated properly (I did the thai driving test after my UK licence run out and to be honest I was embarrassed doing it), do we blame the useless police, do we blame the lack of common sense when people drive, do we blame their lack of courtesy. In my opinion if the law was stronger and the police not corrupt and actually did their job they could start to minimize the damage, but daily I see the police cause more problems than they cure, where I live now, every day I do a right turn on a dual carriage way, the road we are on has 5 lanes, 3 to go straight ahead and 2 to turn right, so the police cone it so 3 lanes turn right into a two lane road, of which one lane is always blocked by the minibuses, and the three lanes normally become 4, while the police just stand and look at the chaos they cause.

[Thaifever]

I've been in those vans a few times but now I avoid them at all costs. Last trip I took the driver was weaving in and out of any lane, of a six lane highway at high speed. My life is worth more than that thank you. I take the big buses at any opportunity I can, as they are at least a bit bigger and therefore, safer in many ways.

It's ironic that people pay so much to put their kids into school in Thailand, but yet when it comes to transport, their children are left in the hands of underpaid, overworked, in some cases unqualified drivers. By the way some of them drive, it really gives you the idea they don't have a lot to live for.

[random]

What a sad waste of life.......

R.I.P.

2Sad.. R.I.P.

i always fear this when riding a bus on elevated tollway..!! very small protection walls compared to the hight of a bus...

at least this reckless driver can't do any harm anymore..

maybe he can, he survived.

I wonder how many of those poor people burned to death

[Richb2004v2]

Driving though is one area I would love to see out nanny state imported into thailand, The UK and thailand have very similar populations but the annual death toll on the roads is far higher in Thailand I believe.

Yeah, but you see the 'carefree' driving in Thailand is one of the things some folk love here: get caught drink driving, pay 200 baht etc etc. People love to knock the 'drastic laws' present in the developed world that so many of us left behind. Folk often espouse the merits of the tea money system as a welcome alternative to the 'upholding the laws' system practiced back home. Sadly the result of this system is things like children going off flyovers and burning to death. I know which system I prefer, but that's just me.

[troy04]

When a Thai friend tells me its okay to go thru a red bcos there is two reds... red when it first changes (thats ok to go thru) and 'blood red' which is the red that appears about 4 secs after red first shows (you cant go thru that unless your a bus) what hope is there for anybody to complain and correct the p1ss poor attitude adopted by most Thais. Ever wondered why traffic is slow to pull away when it goes green, sh1t scared of whats coming the other way. Anyway a red light here is merely a suggestion.

When I stop at a red pedestrian crossing, near a school, at 07.00 in the morning cars honk me to go and when I dont they go around me across the crossing thru the red looking at me like I am stupid.. They will try to go on red even if there is kids crossing the road on the crossing. On the same road today a driver nearly t boned me coming from a junction as I stopped quick opposite him I f..ked him farang style. He had then lost face so further down the road he went under me a great speed pulled in and then indicated to turn right. I just LMFAO with the window open and that wound him up even more. They really never mature mentally beyond the age of 12, live with little or no responsibility for their actions. Take my advice, drive with something under the seat if you are going to demonstrate your anger that they drive like mongs. I have covered over 250,000 kms in Thailand and wherever you go they have the same trait, mindless morons behind the wheel. Please feel free to defend them, how I dont know (after education driving is my favourite subject ,rant finished please carry on with sensible discussion now)

well said. too many exammples of reckless driving here.. the don't care the possible consequences

[Screws]

Sorry to say I have been waiting for this to happen. I took one of the vans Pattaya to BKK a week or so ago - my guess is that they are racing - trying to get the best time to BKK to show how much more testosterone they (& their co.) has than other cos. My van (which I will not take again) hit 150 km / hr three times in 5 minutes, no doubt hit 160 when I was not watching. 12 in bus, 10 w/o seatbelts. I shouted to the driver that he should slow down, not be doing 150 km / hr. He thought I was arguing the price, which was roi ha sip (150 baht). He was also driving faster than the other traffic, so weaving in and out of the other traffic, some of which is also weaving. All a matter of time.

So back to Roong Reaung, which anyway is not a bad bus service.

But the baht busses on Sukhumvit also race each other - when two get near each other, it is common for them to start racing to get ahead of each other, to get the next fares - 110 km / hr plus - even with standing passengers.

Prepare some more body bags.

[lee68]

It's not just BKK. A little while back, here in Chiang Mai, I saw a school van, loaded with kids, pull out in a NO PASSING ZONE, and try to pass 4 other cars. Fortunately they were able to squeeze in before the oncoming traffic plowed into them.

Ive been driving here for 15 years and it will never get better.ive done the test here 2 times one time in phuket and one time in chaing mai and its a farce.i have been in cars with well educated Thai people who have lived and driven abroad.but when they are back here they drive like idiots,i talk to them and they say,we drive thai style.so how do you explain that.thats scary.

[troy04]

What a sad waste of life.......

R.I.P.

2Sad.. R.I.P.

i always fear this when riding a bus on elevated tollway..!! very small protection walls compared to the hight of a bus...

at least this reckless driver can't do any harm anymore..

maybe he can, he survived.

I wonder how many of those poor people burned to death

shame, sad to hear..

[Phatcharanan]

Sadly the result of this system is things like children going off flyovers and burning to death. I know which system I prefer, but that's just me.

And yet you choose to live here.

[random]

Yeah, but you see the 'carefree' driving in Thailand is one of the things some folk love here: get caught drink driving, pay 200 baht etc etc. People love to knock the 'drastic laws' present in the developed world that so many of us left behind. Folk often espouse the merits of the tea money system as a welcome alternative to the 'upholding the laws' system practiced back home. Sadly the result of this system is things like children going off flyovers and burning to death. I know which system I prefer, but that's just me.

That is my point, give me our nanny state on the roads over the mayhem here.

[tombkk]

Update:

The van had a sticker "Panjanawit School. Samut Prakarn". This led to assumption that it was school van chartered 4 weekend outing. /The Nation

I would be carefull with assumptions. This accident happened on a weekend, and we learned that the driver was also the owner of the vehicle. It is likely that he took customers not related to the school during a time the school did not require his services.

RIP the victims of this horrible accident.

[troy04]

Terrible accident and very sad for the families of the victims. My sincere condolences for their loss, with one exception... the driver.

Its not yet known how the accident happened. Maybe a tyre 'blow-out', faulty brakes, another reckless driver in front etc.

Why are you so quick to condone the driver without all the facts?

yes correct, that's wrong. but if not him then thousands others who don't know the meaning of 'responsibility'

[Richb2004v2]

Sadly the result of this system is things like children going off flyovers and burning to death. I know which system I prefer, but that's just me.

And yet you choose to live here.

Well, yes I did choose to live here, but I'll be away just as soon as I can sell my house. Thailand is brilliant by the way. The number one place to live in all the world. I can do you a good price on my house.

[contemplating]

Seems the mini vans have a license to kill, they are always driving like hel_l, of course trying to get to Nong Kai or where ever. It must go with the job, tight time table, and if a long run, just have some more red bull. But what about the baht buses that are used to carry the school children? I see them so over loaded, that they have to hit the breaks, before the front wheels touch ground. As I see it, Thai dont care anything about safety, if I mention to my TGF about vans driving fast or overloaded baht buses, she has no idea what im talking about. It just doesnt register in their heads. I guess if they really knew how to drive, then being macho could be accepted, but you can already see the 10 year olds racing on their bikes, not old enough for sex, but old enough to kill someone! Someone said that even with police, the US has so many accidents, well I can guarantee you that its far less than Thailand, just check the stats! I would even guess that all the accidents in Thailand are not always included in the stats.

[lee68]

i

It's not just BKK. A little while back, here in Chiang Mai, I saw a school van, loaded with kids, pull out in a NO PASSING ZONE, and try to pass 4 other cars. Fortunately they were able to squeeze in before the oncoming traffic plowed into them.

i see it every morning taking my son to school here in chaing mai.words cant describe the stupidity of the people here driving motorbikes and cars.its so sad Thais have no driving skills whatsoever.

[lee68]

Seems the mini vans have a license to kill, they are always driving like hel_l, of course trying to get to Nong Kai or where ever. It must go with the job, tight time table, and if a long run, just have some more red bull. But what about the baht buses that are used to carry the school children? I see them so over loaded, that they have to hit the breaks, before the front wheels touch ground. As I see it, Thai dont care anything about safety, if I mention to my TGF about vans driving fast or overloaded baht buses, she has no idea what im talking about. It just doesnt register in their heads. I guess if they really knew how to drive, then being macho could be accepted, but you can already see the 10 year olds racing on their bikes, not old enough for sex, but old enough to kill someone! Someone said that even with police, the US has so many accidents, well I can guarantee you that its far less than Thailand, just check the stats! I would even guess that all the accidents in Thailand are not always included in the stats.

they don't show it.the kids were i live are driving around at 10,and have no sense at all road or anything else

[yellow1red1]

There are bad drivers everywhere. Thailand does not have a monopoly on this. The USA has tons of traffic rules and police roaming the streets trying to enforce the rules. Still, many people die in the USA from traffic accidents.

I wonder what the accident per capita rate is in countries where the driving training and rules seem lax compared to countries like the USA. With so many accidents happening in the USA, I wonder if rules really make a difference.

good point , it;s not great, but not the bottom of the list, either

middle of the pack - just below World average 20 per 100,000

UK is 4 times safer, 5 per 100,000 Canada and USA approx 2 times safer 10 & 12 per 100,000

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_traffic-related_death_rate

just me, but wish we could hang em high those child molestors the way this thread puts Thai drivers under the wheels

[Phatcharanan]

Well, yes I did choose to live here, but I'll be away just as soon as I can sell my house. Thailand is brilliant by the way. The number one place to live in all the world. I can do you a good price on my house.

No thanks. I already have two. A third will only give the wife another opportunity to spend more money.

And you're right......Thailand is a brilliant country to live in.......assuming you don't come here with your 'western' values about how things should be.

Edited October 31, 2010 by Phatcharanan

[marc11864]

Minivans should be mandated to have a governor installed. In most cases these are a high occupancy vehicle, so any driver is often charged with the protection of others.

Edited October 31, 2010 by marc11864